Crisis at the family's old traditional house!
The other day, I heard a sound like a small child's voice inside the house. For a moment, I thought it might be a zashiki warashi (house spirit), but that couldn't be the case. It turns out that there is an animal hiding in the ceiling.
Having an animal living inside is unsanitary and it will damage the house. It must have snuck in when no one was around. It's become quite a problem.
I immediately called the "pest control" company and they came over. The company first inspected the surroundings of the house, looked under the eaves, checked the entire roof, and found footprints of the raccoon dog (tanuki), as well as signs that raccoons were trying to break through a part of the roof. Furthermore, they discovered traces of termites, also known as "ants' paths," on the pillars under the eaves. They also pointed out signs of termites from the outside and advised that exterminating the white ants should take priority over dealing with the pest issue. They left after giving this advice.
I never thought it would become such a serious matter, so I'm shocked. We need to do something about it. When I consulted a friend who is a construction company owner, they said they would come to investigate as soon as possible.
For now, the only thing I can do is to mow the grass near the house. It's hot today, but I summoned up my strength like in a crisis situation.